CFBS Trip to Xi’an, China

On Monday 6^th July, 30 Central Foundation students who study Mandarin flew over to the city of Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province of China for a 10-day trip. This was organised by the prestigious, government-funded Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP), in which all Mandarin students at Central Foundation take part in.

The boys have now started their Mandarin lessons smoothly and took part in the opening ceremony with students from other UK schools. It has been great to see them meeting new friends.

During the opening ceremony, they watched a fantastic traditional Chinese face-changing performance. It was very impressive, and judging by their faces, some of the boys are still trying to work out how it was done!

They have also been learning about Chinese intangible cultural heritage by making Huamo, a traditional decorative steamed bun craft. Some of the designs were beautiful, some were very creative, and a few may belong in a modern art gallery , but everyone gave it a proper go and enjoyed the experience.

The students visited the Terracotta Warriors, which was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The boys were able to see one of China’s most famous historical sites in person, after learning about it in class. It was a very special moment to connect what they have studied with the real place.

Later, they watched a traditional shadow puppet show and even had the chance to see how the puppets work. It was another fun way for them to experience Chinese culture beyond the classroom.

The students had a very full programme of culture, shopping, sightseeing and school exchange activities.

They had the chance to try on Hanfu, traditional Chinese clothing. The students also visited a shopping mall and later explored the famous Great Tang Dynasty street, which was full of lights, music, performances and many, many photos.

The students visited Xi’an No. 8 Middle School. The boys met Chinese students, joined activities together, played basketball, and exchanged gifts. It was lovely to see them communicating, laughing and making connections with students their own age. Some Mandarin was used, some English was used, and quite a lot of enthusiastic hand gestures were also involved!

It has been a busy but really meaningful part of the trip, especially seeing the boys experience both Chinese culture and real school life in Xi’an.

Over the final part of the trip, the boys visited the Bell Tower, Xi’an Museum and the Muslim Quarter.

There was more history, more walking, more photos, and of course, a final chance to buy snacks and souvenirs — because apparently there is always room in the suitcase for “just one more thing”.

We also had our final Mandarin class and said goodbye to the Chinese class. The students exchanged gifts, took Polaroid photos together and said their goodbyes. It was lovely to see how many friendships and little memories were made in such a short time.

The students have done incredibly well throughout the trip. They have tried new food, used Mandarin in real-life situations, explored Chinese culture, survived the Xi’an heat, and represented the school brilliantly.

It has been a very special experience for the boys and we are very proud of them.